Attract future brides with promotional products

Anyone who has spent some time around weddings knows that it’s most often the bride who is calling the shots. So ingrained is this mentality for wedding planning that The Knot has even written a long-form survival guide for grooms, informing them on how to pick their battles (carefully), when to weigh in about flower choices (never) and whether to plan the honeymoon (yes). While not nearly every couple is so traditional in its approach to weddings, businesses would still do well to gear their promotional products to the half of the couple that’s traditionally taken a vested interest in the matter. Given that it’s National Wedding Month, now would be a good time to brush up on some promo tactics to attract future brides.

The wedding industry is, if nothing else, intense and interconnected. Everything from the photography to the flowers is expected to culminate on a single day, and that means brides are looking for businesses that are reliable, able to coordinate and can deliver what they want to on the big day. A little bit of sentiment and whimsy isn’t always such a bad thing either. With these considerations in mind, companies can start implementing promotional products more intelligently.

Checking the papers
Businesses that want to have an early advantage with brides should look no further than the wedding announcements section of their local papers. There they’ll find listings of couples who are just starting the planning process, and will soon be hunting down photographers, caterers and the like. What better way to make an impression on future couples than sending them promotional products and a card in the mail to congratulate them on their engagement? It’s a personal touch that may work especially well for small businesses that are still trying to establish a local presence.

In addition to a few words of encouragement, businesses may even want to offer their services to the bride and groom. They can include an e-mail address and tell them to write if there is anything that they can do to help.

Finding who you know
Brides will likely rely on the recommendations of friends, family and even other businesses to find reliable companies. Caterers, after all, are sure to have had their run-ins with photographers and wedding planners and vice versa. Companies that want invaluable advertising may want to work on establishing relationships with companies that they are not in direct competition with, and advertise to them. A promotional pen in the hands of a photographer may just spark a bride’s interest. Organizations may also want to talk with couples with whom they’ve already had past experiences and encourage the now-married to pass the word along about the companies’ work.

In that same vein, companies can even ask brides to include promotional items in the party favors. This tactic usually works best for businesses that have already contributed to the planning and execution of the wedding, so it may be worthwhile to find some way in which to participate in the event.

In-store advertisements
If companies are already involved in the wedding industry, they can also simply keep promotional items available at the front desk of their storefront. To get customers more engaged, however, businesses can invite brides and grooms to participate in a meet-and-greet. Couples can mingle and share their planning processes with one another while giving companies an opportunity to address a large group of potential clients. Promotional giveaways can be handed out at the end of the night as a show thanks for showing up to the event.